TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for bend straightening.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Steel materials such as pipes and bar materials come to have bends in their producing
process. Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose straightening methods for
straightening bends of a pipe or a bar material. Figure 7 is a graph used for describing
a principle of a conventional method for bend straightening.
[0003] The straightening methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 present a method
in which a load and a deflection in press straightening are measured continuously
over time, and the load is removed when a limit within which the load increases in
proportion to the deflection is exceeded and a value of (deflection - straightening
load × proportionality coefficient) reaches a preset amount of straightening. In other
words, in the straightening method, a bend of a pipe is straightened by measuring
an amount of bend in advance before applying the straightening load, determining a
deflection δ
1 of a material in pressing for giving unbending deformation necessary to straighten
the bend by a predetermined method, performing press bending until the deflection
δ
1 is reached, and then removing the load.
[0004] A concept of determining the deflection δ
1 will be described below. First, an initial bend δ
0 of a material placed on two supports separated by a span L is measured before straightening.
As one of methods for the measurement, while the material placed on the two supports
is rotated about its axis, an amplitude of a mid-span portion of the material is measured
with a measuring instrument such as a dial gauge installed below the material. Half
of the amplitude of the mid-span portion is considered to be a target value δ
0 for an amount of the bending by which the bend straightening is to be performed.
[0005] To perform the bend straightening, the material is placed on the supports such that
a direction of the bend of the material becomes a vertically upward direction, and
a center portion of the material is bent downward with a press head attached to an
end of a hydraulic cylinder. Regarding a relation between a load P applied at that
time and a bending displacement δ of the material, deformation of the material is
in an elasticity region in an initial stage being a beginning of pressing, where a
P-δ curve has an inclination of λ1. As the press bending proceeds with the load P
gradually increasing, the deformation of the material, which is in the deform plastically
region with the inclination λ1 in the beginning, reaches a plastic deformation region,
the increase in the load P slows down, and a plastic bending of the material progresses.
Then, when the bending displacement δ reaches the deflection δ
1 of the press bending determined beforehand, pressing operation is stopped, and the
load is removed. When the load is removed, the elastic deformation given to the material
by the working load before the unloading is released, and after the load is completely
removed, the plastic bending δ
0 as permanent deformation remains. This enables unbending by the same amount as the
initial amount of bend, and the bend straightening can be achieved.
[0006] Patent Documents 1 and 2 are characterized in that a bending amount δ
1 up to a pressing bottom dead center position described above is determined with consideration
given to a difference between the inclination λ1 in the elasticity region when a bending
load is applied initially and an inclination λ2 when the load is removed after the
pressing bottom dead center position is reached and the elastic deformation is released,
that is at so-called spring back, on a load-displacement curve. In other words, an
amount of pressing operation is determined, focusing on the fact that the inclination
in loading and the inclination in unloading are λ
1 and λ
2, respectively, both of which do not match in general. The present inventors consider
that a reason for this is due to Bauschinger effect and residual stress associated
with a history of a straightened material.
LIST OF PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS
PATENT DOCUMENT
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
TECHNICAL PROBLEM
[0008] According to these Patent Documents 1 and 2, the press bending amount δ
1 is determined with reference to behavior of the relationship between the load and
the displacement illustrated in Figure 7. This is effective in a case where behavior
of the plastic deformation is clear, for example, in a case where a large bend is
to be straightened. However, the present inventors found that the following problem
occurs if the methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are used in a case where
a minute bend is to be straightened.
[0009] In other words, even when a bend is straightened by the methods described in Patent
Documents 1 and 2, it was difficult to perform straightening with high accuracy by
performing pressing operation only once. For example, a straightening level of 0.5
mm to 1 mm per 1 m is often required as a product specification; however, it is difficult
to achieve such a straightening level by performing the pressing operation according
to the method described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 once, due to the Bauschinger effect
described above and subtle fluctuations in properties of a material and a machine
and additionally various unevenness factors including backlash of a device and stiffness
of the device. This makes it difficult to apply techniques of prior art to press straightening
performed in an actual operation site, which brings about a situation where the press
straightening still has to depend on a pressing operation by a skilled worker.
[0010] The present inventors conducted detailed studies about a flaw of prior art and found
that the straightening with high accuracy to perform needs slight adjustment in amount
of bend in its final stage, that is, finish straightening; however, this case requires
straightening working in a light load region where no clear transition to the plasticity
region can be read even when a load-displacement curve is observed by on-line measurement.
In other words, as illustrated in Figure 8, in a case where such minute bending is
performed, transition to the plastic deformation region is observed in the press loading,
as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, and it was found that the finish straightening
by the minute bending deformation, which is an objective, can be realized by, for
example, operation of performing the unloading in the light load region, which is
seemingly considered as the elastic deformation region, rather than the pressing operation
that enters a region beyond a point B illustrated in Figure 7. Figure 8 is a diagram
illustrating relation between load and amount of bend in pressing operation with various
amounts of press stroke.
[0011] Is was further found that, in such a light-load deformation region, the inclination
λ
2 at the unloading is not constant and subtly changes depending on a level of a value
of a pressing-bottom-dead-center load value at start of the unloading, as described
in Patent Documents 1 and 2. In Figure 8, pressing bottom dead center positions B3
and B4 correspond to a case where press working is performed beyond the point B in
Figure 7. Pressing bottom dead center positions B1 and B2 correspond to press working
in the light load region that is seemingly considered as the elastic deformation region.
Here, inclinations at times of unloading at B1, B2, B3, and B4 are illustrated as
λ21, λ22, λ23, and λ24; λ23 and λ24 are equal to each other as in prior art, while
λ21 and λ22 in the light load region are different from each other. Therefore, a concept
of prior art, in which an operation amount of the press working is determined by estimating
the inclination λ2 at the unloading with reference to a shape of the load-displacement
curve in the pressing operation, cannot possibly realize the finish straightening.
Hence, in a pressing operating region that is seemingly considered as the elasticity
region, the present inventors conducted detailed studies about a relation between
bottom dead center load P in the pressing operation and change Δδ in amount of bend
of a pipe after unloading and determined, based on a database of the studies, to perform
the unloading after performing the pressing operation until a pressing load P at which
Δδ provides a target straightening amount δ
0 described above.
[0012] In addition, the present inventors found that determining an operation amount of
pressing control to be a target load value to be applied to a steel material in a
region that is not used in conventional practice makes the pressing control easy,
which can increase an accuracy of the bend straightening as compared with the case
of Patent Documents 1 and 2 where a displacement of the steel material in pressing
is determined as the operation amount of the pressing control.
[0013] An objective of the present invention is to provide a method for bend straightening
that includes determining a target load value, and performing pressing control using
the target load value to increase the accuracy of the bend straightening.
SOLUTION TO PROBLEM
[0014] The present invention is a method for bend straightening in which a pipe body having
a bend is placed in a state where the pipe body is convex upward, the pipe body is
pressed from above by a press unit at a target load value, whereby the pipe body is
straightened, the method including: (a) a step of measuring a bottom-dead-center load
value when the press unit is at a bottom dead center in the pressing; (b) a step of
measuring an amount of change in amount of bend between an amount of bend of the pipe
body before the pressing in the step (a) and an amount of bend of the pipe body after
the pressing in the step (a); (c) a step of repeating the step (a) and the step (b)
a plurality of times to create a relation between the bottom-dead-center load value
and the amount of change in the amount of bend; and (d) a step of determining a target
load value for next pressing from the relation.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION
[0015] According to the present invention, the bottom-dead-center load value and the amount
of change in amount of bend are collected to create a relation between the bottom-dead-center
load value and the amount of change in amount of bend, and from the relation, the
target load value used for pressing the pipe body is determined. In addition, by using
the target load value as an operation amount of pressing control, the pressing control
can be made easy to perform, and an accuracy of bend straightening can be increased.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0016]
[Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram used for describing a press straightener that performs
press straightening on a steel pipe.
[Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram used for describing an amount of bend of a steel
pipe.
[Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram used for describing the rotation amplitude value
measured by the displacement gauge.
[Figure 4] Figure 4 is a graph used for describing a relational expression Pk = f(Δδ).
[Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a method for bend straightening.
[Figure 6] Figure 6 is a table showing experimental results obtained by performing
the method for bend straightening using the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ).
[Figure 7] Figure 7 is a graph used for describing a conventional method for bend
straightening.
[Figure 8] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a relation between load and amount of
bend in pressing operation with various amounts of press stroke.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0017] A method for bend straightening to be described below is a method for straightening
a steel pipe being a pipe body by pressing a bend portion that occurs in the steel
pipe using a press straightener.
[0018] Figure 1 is a diagram used for describing a press straightener 1 that performs press
straightening on a steel pipe 100.
[0019] The steel pipe 100 that is to be subject to the press straightening by the press
straightener 1 has, for example, a curve-like bend. The bend of the steel pipe 100
occurs in, for example, hot or cold working in a producing process of the steel pipe
100.
[0020] The press straightener 1 includes a two-point support 2. The two-point support 2
supports the steel pipe 100 at two points, with its axis direction set to be a horizontal
direction. The steel pipe 100 is placed on the two-point support 2 to be convex upward.
[0021] The press straightener 1 includes a press unit 3. The press unit 3 includes a press
cylinder 31 and a press plate 32. The press unit 3 presses the steel pipe 100 placed
on the two-point support 2 to apply a load to the steel pipe 100.
[0022] The press cylinder 31 includes a rod not illustrated, which has a rod end provided
with the press plate 32. The press cylinder 31 is coupled to a hydraulic unit 33 and
expands and contracts the rod via working of the hydraulic unit 33 to perform ascending
and descending operation of the press plate 32 and the pressing control on the steel
pipe 100.
[0023] The press plate 32 ascends and descends via the expansion and contraction of the
press cylinder 31. By the rod of the press cylinder 31 expanding, the press plate
32 presses the steel pipe 100 placed on the two-point support 2 from above, applying
the load to the steel pipe 100.
[0024] The press cylinder 31 is provided with a load cell 34. The load cell 34 measures
a load value P with which the press plate 32 presses the steel pipe 100. During the
pressing by the press plate 32, the load cell 34 measures the load value P as appropriate
and outputs a value of the measurement to a controller 10 described below.
[0025] The press straightener 1 is provided with a displacement gauge 4. The displacement
gauge 4 measures an amount of bend δ of the steel pipe 100 being pressed by the press
unit 3.
[0026] Figure 2 is a diagram used for describing the amount of bend δ of the steel pipe
100. The amount of bend δ is an amount of displacement from a reference level that
is set at support points of the steel pipe 100 provided by the two-point support 2.
[0027] The displacement gauge 4 measures an amount of bend δ of the steel pipe 100 by the
press unit 3 with respect to the axis direction of the steel pipe 100. The displacement
gauge 4 outputs a value of the measurement to the controller 10 described below. The
displacement gauge 4 may be of a contact type that comes in contact with the steel
pipe 100 to measure the amount of bend δ or may be of a noncontact type that measures
the amount of bend δ without contact with the steel pipe 100.
[0028] The press straightener 1 includes a pair of rotating rollers 51 and the displacement
gauge 4. The pair of rotating rollers 51 rotates while sandwiching one end of the
steel pipe 100 to hold the steel pipe 100. The press straightener 1 causes the press
unit 3 to press the steel pipe 100, lifts up the steel pipe 100 from the two-point
support 2 after unloading, and causes the pair rotating rollers 51 to rotate the steel
pipe 100.
[0029] The displacement gauge 4 measures a rotation amplitude value S of the steel pipe
100 rotated by the pair rotating rollers 51. The rotation amplitude value S is measured
by the displacement gauge 4, and half of the rotation amplitude value can be measured
as a residual amount of bend δa of the steel pipe 100 after the pressing. The displacement
gauge 4 is, for example, a dial gauge.
[0030] Figure 3 is a diagram used for describing the rotation amplitude value S measured
by the displacement gauge 4.
[0031] When the pressing by the press unit 3 starts, the steel pipe 100 deforms elastically,
and as the pressing further continues, the steel pipe 100 deforms plastically. When
the steel pipe 100 is unloaded being bent in the plastic deformation region, the steel
pipe 100 maintains its bent state. In the state where the steel pipe 100 is deformed
plastically after the unloading, the amount of bend δ from the reference level described
above is the residual amount of bend δa.
[0032] The displacement gauge 4 measures the rotation amplitude value S of the steel pipe
100 rotated by the pair rotating rollers 51 when the steel pipe 100 is bent downward.
In other words, the residual amount of bend δa of the steel pipe 100 after the pressing
is obtained by halving the rotation amplitude value S measured by the displacement
gauge 4.
[0033] Return to Figure 1. The press straightener 1 includes the controller 10. The controller
10 is, for example, a control circuit using a PC or the like. The controller 10 drives
and controls the hydraulic unit 33 to press the steel pipe 100. The controller 10
drives and controls the pair of rotating rollers 51 to rotate the steel pipe 100 about
a rotation axis Ax.
[0034] The controller 10 acquires results of the measurement from the load cell 34 and the
displacement gauge 4.
[0035] The controller 10 uses the value of the measurement by the load cell 34 to perform
feedback control on the hydraulic unit 33 and perform the pressing control on the
press unit 3. In the pressing, the controller 10 measures a bottom-dead-center load
value Pk when the press unit 3 is at its bottom dead center. When the press unit 3
is at its bottom dead center refers to when the rod (not illustrated) of the press
cylinder 31 is at its bottom dead center.
[0036] From the value of the measurement by the displacement gauge 4, the controller 10
measures an amount of change Δδ between the amount of bend δ of the steel pipe 100
before the pressing and the amount of bend δ of the steel pipe 100 after the pressing.
Here, after the pressing means a state where the load of the pressing is removed,
and no load is applied to the steel pipe 100 by the press unit 3.
[0037] In addition, the controller 10 measures the residual amount of bend δa of the steel
pipe 100 from the rotation amplitude value S measured by the displacement gauge 4,
as described with reference to Figure 3.
[0038] The controller 10 collects pluralities of bottom-dead-center load values Pk and amounts
of change Δδ to create Pk = f(Δδ), a relational expression of Pk-Δδ.
[0039] Figure 4 is a graph used for describing the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ). In
Figure 4, black dots each indicate a bottom-dead-center load value Pk and an amount
of change Δδ measured in one press. Figure 4 illustrates data in a case where carbon
steel pipes each of which has an outer diameter of 34 mm and a wall thickness of 2.6
mm are supported at a press span of 1500 mm and pressed by the press unit 3. The press
span is a distance between the two support points with which the two-point support
2 supports the steel pipe 100.
[0040] In Figure 4, for example, in a case where the steel pipe 100 is pressed with a bottom-dead-center
load value Pk of 2.9 [kN], the amount of change Δδ in the amount of bend δ of the
steel pipe 100 before and after the pressing is about 0.4 [mm]. In this case, the
steel pipe 100 is deformed plastically.
[0041] In contrast, for example, in a case where the steel pipe 100 is pressed with a bottom-dead-center
load value Pk of 2.7 [kN], the amount of change Δδ in the amount of bend δ of the
steel pipe 100 before and after the pressing is about 0 [mm]. In this case, the steel
pipe 100 is deformed elastically.
[0042] After collecting the pluralities of bottom-dead-center load values Pk and amounts
of change Δδ measured, the controller 10 creates Pk = f(Δδ), the relational expression
of Pk-Δδ. The relational expression Pk = f(Δδ) is a regression formula that is acquired
from a plurality of data items, as illustrated as a solid line in Figure 4. The relational
expression Pk = f(Δδ) is expressed by Formula (1) shown below.

where a = -0.0269, b = 0.174, c = -0.416, d = 0.467, e = 2.77. Note that Formula
(1) is updated whenever a bottom-dead-center load value Pk and an amount of change
Δδ are measured.
[0043] From the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ) shown by Formula (1) and the residual amount
of bend δa of the steel pipe 100, the controller 10 determines a load value for the
next pressing (hereinafter, referred to as target load value Pa). Using the relational
expression Pk = f(Δδ) makes it possible to determine a load value necessary to perform
the bend straightening by deforming the steel pipe 100 plastically by the residual
amount of bend δa. For example, in a case where the residual amount of bend δa of
the steel pipe 100 is about 1.8 mm, a load value necessary to deform the steel pipe
100 plastically by about 1.8 mm is about 3.0 kN (see Figure 4). The controller 10
sets a target load value Pa at about 3.0 kN to press the steel pipe 100.
[0044] When performing the pressing at the target load value Pa, the controller 10 performs
feedback control on the hydraulic unit 33 to press the steel pipe 100 with reference
to the result of the measurement by the load cell 34. The controller 10 then repeats
the pressing of the steel pipe 100 until the residual amount of bend δa becomes not
more than a threshold value, so as to straighten the steel pipe 100. The threshold
value is preferably 1 mm, more preferably 0.5 mm.
[0045] A method for bend straightening performed by the press straightener 1 will be described
below in detail. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of the method for
bend straightening.
[0046] First, the controller 10 causes the press unit 3 to press the steel pipe 100 (S1).
Specifically, the controller 10 operates the hydraulic unit 33 to expand the rod of
the press cylinder 31. The controller 10 then uses the press plate 32 to press the
steel pipe 100 placed on the two-point support 2. At this time, the controller 10
controls the hydraulic unit 33 such that the load value P becomes the target load
value Pa while acquiring the result of the measurement by the load cell 34.
[0047] In a case where step S1 is performed first in the production or the relational expression
Pk = f(Δδ) described above is not created with high accuracy because the database
is built insufficiently, that is, in a case where the target load value Pa is not
determined strictly from the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ), the controller 10 may
start the operation based on a material strength level of the material and a simple
elastic bending deformation prediction formula. Alternatively, the pressing may be
performed according to an empirical rule of a worker or a load value determined by
another method.
[0048] Next, the controller 10 measures the bottom-dead-center load value Pk (S2). Thereafter,
the controller 10 performs unloading (S3) and measures the amount of change Δδ (S4).
The amount of change Δδ is measured as the difference between the amount of bend δ
of the steel pipe 100 before the pressing and the amount of bend δ of the steel pipe
100 after the pressing, as described above.
[0049] In step S5, from the bottom-dead-center load value Pk and the amount of change Δδ,
the controller 10 creates the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ). At this time, in a
case where the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ) has not been created, the controller
10 repeats step S1 to step S4 a plurality of times to collect pluralities of bottom-dead-center
load values Pk and amounts of change Δδ, and then create the relational expression
Pk = f(Δδ). In contrast, in a case where the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ) has
already been created, the controller 10 uses the bottom-dead-center load value Pk
measured in step S2 and the amount of change Δδ measured in step S4 to update the
relational expression Pk = f(Δδ).
[0050] Subsequently, the controller 10 controls the rotation of the pair of rotating rollers
51 to rotate the steel pipe 100 (S6). The controller 10 causes the displacement gauge
4 to measure the rotation amplitude value S (S7). The controller 10 determines the
residual amount of bend δa of the steel pipe 100 from the measured rotation amplitude
value S (S8).
[0051] The controller 10 determines whether the residual amount of bend δa of the steel
pipe 100 after the straightening is not more than the threshold value (e.g., 1 mm
or 0.5 mm) (S9). When the residual amount of bend δa is not more than the threshold
value (S9: YES), the controller 10 determines that the steel pipe 100 is straight.
The method for bend straightening is thus finished.
[0052] When the residual amount of bend δa is more than the threshold value (S9: NO), the
controller 10 determines that the steel pipe 100 is not straight. The controller 10
then determines the target load value Pa from the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ)
and the residual amount of bend δa (S10). Specifically, the controller 10 substitutes
the residual amount of bend δa for Δδ in Formula (1) to calculate the load value Pk.
The controller 10 determines the calculated load value Pk as the target load value
Pa.
[0053] The controller 10 returns to step S1 to press the steel pipe 100 with the determined
target load value Pa. In a case where the steel pipe 100 is convex downward before
being pressed in step S1, the steel pipe 100 is rotated to be convex upward.
[0054] By repeating the process described above, the bend of the steel pipe 100 is straightened,
and the steel pipe 100 becomes straight. Since the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ)
is updated whenever necessary, a reliability of the target load value Pa determined
from the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ) increases as the pressing for the bend straightening
is repeated. As a result, an accuracy of the bend straightening increases.
[0055] Figure 6 is a table showing experimental results obtained by performing the method
for bend straightening using the relational expression Pk = f(Δδ). In Figure 6, "Path"
means the process for performing the pressing by the press unit 3. "Path No" of "1"
means that the steel pipe 100 is pressed once, and "Path No" of "2" means that the
steel pipe 100 is pressed twice. "Actual load value" is a load value P measured by
the load cell 34 when the controller 10 controls the hydraulic unit 33 to perform
the pressing with the "Target load value Pa".
[0056] In the method for bend straightening of the present embodiment, the pressing control
is performed using only the target load value Pa without measuring the amount of bend
of the steel pipe 100 being pressed. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the actual
load value substantially matches the target load value Pa. In other words, in the
present embodiment, the pressing control is performed accurately. As a result, as
read from Figure 6, the amount of bend δ of the steel pipe 100 is 0.5 mm or less at
fourth pressing. As seen from the above, the method for bend straightening of the
present embodiment provides results of high accuracy.
[0057] As described above, in conventional practice, the bend straightening is performed
while observing a displacement of a steel pipe being pressed in the plastic deformation
region using the inclination λ2 of an unload curve created in the plastic deformation
region, as illustrated in Figure 7; in contrast, in the present embodiment, the relation
expressed by Formula (1) shown above is created in (the region where the load increases
with the inclination λ1), which is seemingly observed as the elastic deformation region
immediately after starting the press loading illustrated in Figure 7. Then, in the
region, the bend straightening is performed at the target load value Pa determined
from the relation expressed by Formula (1). Using the load value as a control parameter
dispenses with the observation of the displacement of the steel pipe being pressed
in the bend straightening as in conventional practice, and the pressing control can
be performed with high accuracy even when an amount of bend displacement is small.
In particular, the present embodiment is effective when a quality level of 1 mm to
0.5 mm or less per length of 1 m in terms of the bend displacement is required.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0058]
- 1
- press straightener
- 2
- two-point support
- 3
- press unit
- 4
- displacement gauge
- 10
- controller
- 31
- press cylinder
- 32
- press plate
- 33
- hydraulic unit
- 34
- load cell
- 51
- rotating roller
- 100
- steel pipe